Current
>>Online production of Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy
a site-specific performance for the internet
co-directed by Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson
Set/Costumes: Brenda Abbandolo
Lights: Amith Chandrashaker
Sound: Andre Pluess
With Danielle Slavick, Greg Keller, Ian Lassiter, Haskell King and Mia Katigbak
Presented by Theaterworks Hartford, TheaterSquared, and The Civilians
Live online performances October 20—24 (encore streaming through November 2)
>>Commissioned by Playwrights Horizons to write a sound play for Soundstage's Season 2
>>Developing an online version of Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy
A site-specific performance for the internet
Developed with Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson
Online workshop with TheaterSquared , live online showing August 28, 2020
Online workshop with New Dramatists, September 2020
>>Named a member of the 2020 Orchard Project Greenhouse lab
>> Awarded a NYSCA grant to create a new project with Ellie Heyman (via WP Theater)
>>Play At Home commission from Playwrights Realm: Fill in the Play
a theatrical experiment: mad lib meets improv game meets play
Fill out the form and a PDF of a one-of-a-kind play will be automatically emailed to you.
>>Private reading of new draft of musical Rutka's Diary
with composers Jocelyn MacKenzie and Jeremy Lloyd Styles of Pearl and the Beard
and dramaturg Ken Cerniglia
Online, July 2020
>>Watch new play for 24 Hour Plays : Toilet Paper Kayak starring Becky Ann Baker and Dylan Baker
>>Berkeley Rep Ground Floor postponed due to COVID-19
>>Workshop of Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy at Hartford Theaterworks postponed due to COVID-19
>>Workshop of The Hole at TheaterSquared postponed due to COVID-19
**
>>Invited reading of Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy
2.10 at 6 pm
New Dramatists
directed by Kip Fagan
With Adina Verson, Ryan King, Greg Keller, Haskell King and Laura Esterman
>>Workshopping Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy at Play Time
at New Dramatists, November 7 — 22, 2019
>>Prayers from Ohio, concert of music from work-in-progress Ohio, music and lyrics by The Bengsons,
at Ars Nova (uptown), November 8 — 9, 2019
>>Grove/Whitman Commissioning Program Showcase, excerpt from The Orchestra, music and lyrics by Ben Wexler,
at Signature Theatre, October 21, 2019
>>Closed Reading of a new revision at New York Theatre Workshop, directed by Danya Taymor, October 22, 2019
>>Mission Drift named one of The Guardian's Top 50 Theater Shows of the 21st Century, Sept 2019
>>In residence at SPACE on Ryder Farm (family residency), working on Russian Troll Farm, August 2019
>>In mini-workshop creating Ohio with The Bengsons, Anne Kauffman and Caitlin Sullivan
at Ars Nova Greenwich House, August 2019
>>Creating Ohio with The Bengsons and Caitlin Sullivan
at Berkeley Rep's Ground Floor, June 2019
>>Working on a musical with Ben Wexler, one of twelve new Grove Commissions
>>Creating a new music-theater work with Jocelyn Mackenzie and Jeremy Lloyd-Styles of Pearl and the Beard
>>The Lucky Ones wins the 2019 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre
>>Workshopping Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy with director Rachel Chavkin
at New Dramatists, April 8 — 12, 2019
>>Hundred Days to be published/licensed through Broadway Licensing
>>Upcoming Japanese production of Hundred Days (stay tuned!)
>>Reading of Five Mothers at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, NYC
directed by Joshua Kahan Brody
April 9, 2019 @ 7 pm
including discussion with Hungarian scholar, activist, and organizer Eszter Súsan
>>Working with Cirque du Soleil on a new circus
>>Hundred Days on tour at the Straz Center in Tampa, Jan 15 — March 24, 2019
>>Hundred Days on tour at Miami's Arsht Center, April 10 — April 21, 2019
(Stay tuned for additional 2018—2019 tour dates.)
>>The Lucky Ones featured on Buzzfeed's Best Plays and Musicals of 2018
>>Spring 2019: Teaching Playwriting I at NYU Tisch's Department of Dramatic Writing
and Third Year MFA Thesis at The New School
Recent
,>>Workshop and closed reading of The Hole with Asolo Rep, October 2018
Directed by Celine Rosenthal
>>Run of Hundred Days at La Jolla Playhouse
by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher
Directed by Anne Kauffman
September 22 — October 21, 2018
>>Klauzál Square included on Steppenwolf's The Mix list
>>Hundred Days cast album released on Ghostlight Records 9/21/2018
>>Named a new member of New Dramatists, Class of 2025
>>Family Residency at SPACE at Ryder Farm, August 2018,
>>Workshopping The Hole at New York Stage and Film's Reading Festival 1, June 2018
Directed by Danya Taymor
Public reading June 24 @ 5 pm
commissioned by Asolo Rep
>>In residence at The Hermitage Artist Retreat in Florida, May 2018
>>Fall 2018: Teaching The Writer and the World (first year MFA playwriting)
and New Voices (thesis class for third year MFA playwrights) at The New School
Teaching Professional Colloquium (grad/undergrad) at NYU Tisch Department of Dramatic Writing
>>2018 Drama Desk Award Nominations announced
The Lucky Ones nominated for:
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Damon Daunno
Outstanding Music
Outstanding Lighting for a Musical: Amith Chandrashaker
>>2018 Drama League Award Nominations announced
Hundred Days nominated for Outstanding Production of a Musical
>>2018 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations announced.
7 nominations for team Bengson/Gancher/Kauffman/Tayeh :
Outstanding Musical: Hundred Days
Outstanding Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh, The Lucky Ones
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Damon Daunno, The Lucky Ones
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Abigail Bengson, Hundred Days
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:
Maryann Plunkett, The Lucky Ones
Myra Lucretia Taylor, The Lucky Ones
Adina Verson, The Lucky Ones
>>World Premiere of new musical The Lucky Ones at Ars Nova
by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher,
Directed by Anne Kauffman
Spring 2018
commissioned by Ars Nova
>>Seder named one of five finalists (out of 800) for the
Marin Theater Company Sky Cooper New American New Play Prize
>>Spring 2018: The Place We Built selected as Top 10 in the Jewish Play Project's Best of the First 10 Years
>>Spring 2018: Teaching playwriting at NYU Tisch's Department of Dramatic Writing
and at ESPA
>>Run of Hundred Days at New York Theater Workshop
by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher
Directed by Anne Kauffman
November — December 2017
>>Seder wins a TCG Edgerton Foundation New Play Award
>>World Premiere of Seder at Hartford Stage
Directed by Elizabeth Williamson
October 19 — November 12 2017
>>World Premiere of I'll Get You Back Again at Round House Theatre
Directed by Rachel Chavkin
October 4 — 29, 2017
>>Commissioned by Asolo Rep; writing The Hole
>>Commissioned by Second City Theatricals to adapt My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel
>> World Premiere of THE MA NISHTANAH PLAYS
New plays by Susan Bernfield, Sarah Gancher, MJ Kaufman and Shais Rishon
asking what it means to be Jewish now (in this political moment)
Directed by Pironne Yousefzadeh
Dramaturgy by Abigail Katz
presented by the Jewish Plays Project
at the 14th Street Y
June 15th & 17th @ 7 pm
My play is called Shocking But Not Surprising (Megdöbbentő, De Nem Meglepő)
>>In residence at The Orchard Project, June 2017
>>Seder selected as Finalist for Premiere Stages' Play Festival 2017
Staged reading directed by John Wooten
>>Fall 2017: Teaching second year grad playwriting at The New School
>> NYC premiere of new musical Hundred Days
Music by The Bengsons, book by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher,
directed by Anne Kauffmann
January 2017 at the Public Theatre's Under The Radar Festival
>>I'll Get You Back Again workshop/reading at Seattle Rep
directed by Rachel Chavkin
December 12, 2016 @ 7pm
>>Seder workshop/reading at Hartford Stage
directed by Elizabeth Williamson
November 2016
>> The Place We Built wins the AR Gurney Prize, May 2016
>> In Residence at Vineyard Arts Project and Ars Nova, June—July 2016
Working on The Lucky Ones with The Bengsons
in collaboration with director Anne Kauffman and choreographer Sonya Tayeh
>> The Place We Built at The Flea
directed by Danya Taymor
Production extended through May 30 2016
>>Two Honorable Mentions (Top 14.4%) on The Kilroys' 2016 List: I'll Get You Back Again and Seder.
>>Four Honorable Mentions on The Kilroys' 2015 List: Duet, I'll Get You Back Again, Seder, and The Place We Built.
>>Honorable Mention on The Kilroys' 2014 List: Klauzál Square
>> Interviewed by Adam Szymkowicz here
Click here for Archives
The Lucky Ones nominated for:
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical: Damon Daunno
Outstanding Music
Outstanding Lighting for a Musical: Amith Chandrashaker
>>2018 Drama League Award Nominations announced
Hundred Days nominated for Outstanding Production of a Musical
>>2018 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations announced.
7 nominations for team Bengson/Gancher/Kauffman/Tayeh :
Outstanding Musical: Hundred Days
Outstanding Choreographer: Sonya Tayeh, The Lucky Ones
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical: Damon Daunno, The Lucky Ones
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Abigail Bengson, Hundred Days
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:
Maryann Plunkett, The Lucky Ones
Myra Lucretia Taylor, The Lucky Ones
Adina Verson, The Lucky Ones
>>World Premiere of new musical The Lucky Ones at Ars Nova
by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher,
Directed by Anne Kauffman
Spring 2018
commissioned by Ars Nova
>>Seder named one of five finalists (out of 800) for the
Marin Theater Company Sky Cooper New American New Play Prize
>>Spring 2018: The Place We Built selected as Top 10 in the Jewish Play Project's Best of the First 10 Years
>>Spring 2018: Teaching playwriting at NYU Tisch's Department of Dramatic Writing
and at ESPA
>>Run of Hundred Days at New York Theater Workshop
by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher
Directed by Anne Kauffman
November — December 2017
>>Seder wins a TCG Edgerton Foundation New Play Award
>>World Premiere of Seder at Hartford Stage
Directed by Elizabeth Williamson
October 19 — November 12 2017
>>World Premiere of I'll Get You Back Again at Round House Theatre
Directed by Rachel Chavkin
October 4 — 29, 2017
>>Commissioned by Asolo Rep; writing The Hole
>>Commissioned by Second City Theatricals to adapt My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel
>> World Premiere of THE MA NISHTANAH PLAYS
New plays by Susan Bernfield, Sarah Gancher, MJ Kaufman and Shais Rishon
asking what it means to be Jewish now (in this political moment)
Directed by Pironne Yousefzadeh
Dramaturgy by Abigail Katz
presented by the Jewish Plays Project
at the 14th Street Y
June 15th & 17th @ 7 pm
My play is called Shocking But Not Surprising (Megdöbbentő, De Nem Meglepő)
>>In residence at The Orchard Project, June 2017
>>Seder selected as Finalist for Premiere Stages' Play Festival 2017
Staged reading directed by John Wooten
>>Fall 2017: Teaching second year grad playwriting at The New School
>> NYC premiere of new musical Hundred Days
Music by The Bengsons, book by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher,
directed by Anne Kauffmann
January 2017 at the Public Theatre's Under The Radar Festival
>>I'll Get You Back Again workshop/reading at Seattle Rep
directed by Rachel Chavkin
December 12, 2016 @ 7pm
>>Seder workshop/reading at Hartford Stage
directed by Elizabeth Williamson
November 2016
>> The Place We Built wins the AR Gurney Prize, May 2016
>> In Residence at Vineyard Arts Project and Ars Nova, June—July 2016
Working on The Lucky Ones with The Bengsons
in collaboration with director Anne Kauffman and choreographer Sonya Tayeh
>> The Place We Built at The Flea
directed by Danya Taymor
Production extended through May 30 2016
>>Two Honorable Mentions (Top 14.4%) on The Kilroys' 2016 List: I'll Get You Back Again and Seder.
>>Four Honorable Mentions on The Kilroys' 2015 List: Duet, I'll Get You Back Again, Seder, and The Place We Built.
>>Honorable Mention on The Kilroys' 2014 List: Klauzál Square
>> Interviewed by Adam Szymkowicz here
Click here for Archives